It’s pretty unusual to have six candidates for mayor. Perhaps the political energy of U.S. politics has made its way to Galion. In any case, the enthusiasm eclipses anything in recent memory and each candidate, in his or her own way, has suggested that things really ought to change around here. But is that possible?
As the chaos of national politics sustains its fever pitch, it is easy to become hypnotized by the controversy and lose sight of the simple fact: our world is changing. In historical terms, we are in between one age and the next. No one can predict the future, exactly, but a few things are certain. Riding in on the winds of change will be both dangers and opportunities.
Technology, from television to smartphones, has transformed the culture of Galion (and everywhere else) over the last five decades by turning our attention away from the local community, family, and neighbors, and toward the screen, toward national and international politics, entertainment, and things happening thousands of miles away.
For the first time in living memory, that trend is now going in the other direction!
People young and old (but especially young) are waking up to the fact that giving this attention to the world “out there” has come at a great cost to us here and now, to Galion.
It would have been unfathomable in 1950 that the people of Galion would be so divided as to hardly know their neighbors, that old and young people could be so different that it is as if they do not speak the same language. It would have also been difficult to imagine the self-inflicted economic hardships of globalization: the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and the influx of immigrant labor.
For a very long time Galion has been pushed in a particular direction, but we now stand at a crossroads.
Whether you love or hate President Trump, it is important to notice that many unexpected and outrageous things have happened on the U.S. political stage since 2016. Everyone agrees on that. As the world becomes less predictable the unexpected will arrive, too, at our doorstep. The kinds of relationships that Galion has with its people, its past, its state, and its country are all subject to sudden change and fortune will favor a community that is grounded, connected, and willing to step forward without fear.
Throughout the next two weeks the Galion Charter will feature interviews with the mayoral candidates. The election is on November 4th and early voting has already begun.
In a dramatic turn of events, former President Donald Trump is being credited with helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, potentially setting the stage for a broader peace. On October 13, Hamas released the final 20 Israeli hostages in Gaza, while Israel reciprocated by freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Trump delivered remarks to the Israeli Knesset, portraying the moment as a “historic dawn” for the region. He then joined a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where more than 20 nations backed a U.S.-led peace declaration. The agreement formalizes what Trump called the “first phase” of a 20-point plan: a ceasefire, reciprocal releases, and a staged Israeli withdrawal to designated lines.
Still, uncertainty looms. Key issues are left vague ,such as the future governance of Gaza, security guarantees, and how to prevent renewed violence. Observers warn that implementing the plan will prove far more difficult than negotiating it, especially given lingering distrust between parties and domestic political pressures across the region.
For now, many are celebrating the momentary silence of guns. But whether Trump’s mediation truly delivers a lasting peace, or merely a fragile pause, remains to be seen.
A torrent of condemnation erupted this week after private group chats among Young Republican leaders (mostly college students) were leaked, revealing months of inappropriate and racial language. The released cache spans thousands of messages across several state organizations and has forced officials to reckon with political accountability, free speech, and the dangers of private speech becoming public.
On one side of the debate, critics argue the content exposes deeply held extremist views hiding behind party affiliations. In the long shadow cast by the Epstein scandal, the leaks draw implicit comparison to the sort of secrecy and moral toxin that have plagued American politics, both Democrat and Republican
While the present group chat disclosures don’t center on anything like sex trafficking or abuse, the pattern of clandestine conversations among elites adds a chilling echo. For Americans it is another reminder of repeated deflections, false declassifications, and deceptions that have marred the credibility of it's leadership
Defenders of participants raise several counterarguments. Some suggest messages were taken out of context, selectively edited, or amplified by political rivals. Others warn of chilling effects: if private communications can be weaponized, people may retreat from frank internal discourse, hampering dissent and strategy within political movements. A few also point out the tension between condemning hateful content and preserving privacy in internal organizational life.
Yet, the stakes are high. The uproar is already costing careers: chapters have been disbanded, aides fired, and public trust shaken. Whether this becomes a moment of accountability or an exercise in damage control will test how American institutions reckon with private words, public consequences, and the thin line between internal deliberation and public exposure.
Interestingly, the leaks were the result of a blackmail operation run by one of the group chat participants, Gavin Wax, a New York-based conservative activist. The messages, which consist largely of off-color jokes, can be found here on Politico.
You’ve likely heard a lot about AI, and maybe you’ve even experimented with it yourself. If so, you’ve experienced the thrill of generating dream-like images, doing hours of research in only seconds, and even writing long essays in an instant. Artificial Intelligence (or, AI) has long promised to enhance nearly every aspect of life. Large models now design drugs, predict crop yields, optimize logistics, and even generate art and literature. The potential for technological progress is enormous.
Yet as AI systems grow more capable, another pattern is emerging: dependence that borders on addiction. Just as social media reprogrammed human attention, generative AI appears to be reshaping how people think, create, and interact. Millions now turn to AI not only for work and study but also for emotional support, companionship, and validation. The quality time once associated with watching television, gaming, or even socializing is quietly being replicated in chatbots, creative assistants, and synthetic social platforms.
Experts warn that AI addiction is not merely psychological. The same reinforcement-learning systems that optimize content (like Facebook, for example) for engagement are being repurposed to hold users’ attention. Subtle behavioral hooks—instant feedback, personalization, and simulated empathy—make it easy to form habits that feel like growth but resemble compulsion.
This dependency raises ethical questions: what happens when human judgment, creativity, or empathy become mediated through a computer? Increasing numbers of people have become smitten with the technology, spending all of their time in conversation with an agent (or robot) that is able to connect with them by learning exactly what kind of attention they want to be given. There is a clear parallel between the compulsive behavior some exhibit with AI and a more familiar, timeless compulsion: drug addiction.
AI models, including the popular chatGPT, frequently reference safety and “mental health” concerns in their updates, but nevertheless the technology is demonstrating a growing potential for addiction over time and has been noted to reinforce delusional behaviors in its users, including symptoms that resemble psychosis. Users are encouraged to be cautious about their habits and to remember that the apparent personalities that the machine produces are a function of user engagement.
The promise of AI remains extraordinary, but so does its power to reshape behavior. As innovation races ahead, society faces a new challenge—not merely to harness intelligence, but to preserve autonomy in the face of its increasingly seductive digital reflection.
Note: In coming weeks chatGPT has announced that it will now allow erotica for verified adult users.
If you are someone you know has experienced personality changes as a result of AI interactions, and you would like to share your story, contact our editor at scott@galioncharter.com .
In an unusual political rise, Vivek Ramaswamy—once a biotech entrepreneur turned 2024 presidential hopeful—is now on the brink of becoming Ohio’s next governor.
Born in Cincinnati and educated at Harvard and Yale, Ramaswamy made his name (and his millions) as founder and CEO of Roivant Sciences, particularly in the development of the drug Intepirdine, which was touted as a breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimers, but never actually made it to market. (Note: The hype was based on trials conducted by Dr. Geetha Ramaswamy, Vivek’s mother.)
In 2024, he pivoted into the national spotlight, launching a presidential campaign that never gained traction yet elevated his profile in Republican circles. After dropping out, he aligned himself with the Trump wing of the party. However, by early 2025, Ramaswamy left his role as co-leader of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) — a joint venture with Elon Musk — after national controversy surrounding his remarks denigrating the "mediocrity" of American culture.
Despite the tidal wave of negative attention, on February 24 he officially announced his bid for governor, receiving Trump’s endorsement immediately.
Since then, the Ohio Republican establishment has surrendered itself to the candidate, endorsing Ramaswamy unusually early (May), as his competition, AG Dave Yost and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel unexpectedly dropped out or declined to enter the race, paving the way for the unlikely rise of Ramaswamy.
His Democrat challenger, Dr. Amy Acton, is expected to to keep the race tight, but still faces major resistance as a result of her policies and actions as Ohio health director during the Covid crisis of 2020, which Ohioans broadly view as unscientific overreach.
While some see Ramaswamy as a foregone conclusion, the rapidly evolving political landscape means that nothing is certain.
Paving crews are set to hit the streets of Galion beginning October 21 for the city’s 2025 Street Paving Program.
Contractors Bucyrus Road Materials and Kokosing Construction will resurface over 20 streets, ranging from residential lanes to key thoroughfares. Among the roads on the list are Carter Drive, Gill Avenue, North Union Street, Center Street, King Avenue, and several others across the city.
Drivers should expect occasional lane closures, brief detours, and limited parking in work zones as crews advance block by block. City officials urge residents to follow posted instructions, avoid parking in areas slated for work, and plan extra travel time during the paving. The project is expected to wrap up before winter, weather permitting.
For more information: https://www.galion.city/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=441
Here's how the mayoral race is going in New York City.
The Galion Charter will have interviews with the candidates for mayor of Galion coming out next week. I forgot to ask about parades.